Planning 101: Paying It Forward

Months and months of planning go into your wedding day and and maybe even a honeymoon. The big day goes by in a whirlwind, and then you’re off for a relaxing week or 2 (or more?!) before it’s back to the grind. Next on most couple’s lists are Thank You cards. So many friends and family have given time, energy, gifts, money, and more to your wedding, and event though it’s time consuming, showing gratitude is so appreciated.

But, what if you could do more? What if, instead of just thanking those who gave, you could pay it forward?

It’s entirely possible, and we’ve got a few great ideas on how you can pay it forward after your wedding!

  • Sell/Donate Your Dress
    ~ Consignment
    Many consignment stores will accept gently used wedding dresses, which allows you to make a small amount back and help another bride buy a dress at a reduced price. Check out this local bridal consignment boutique in Bel Air!

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Photo: Horace & Mae PhotographyMillersville Wedding feature

    ~Donate
    There are so many organizations that will take your donated dress to give or sell to brides who could otherwise not afford one, including St. Anthony’s Bridal, Brides Against Breast Cancer, & Wish Upon a Wedding.
    ~ Angel Babies Dresses
    As profiled recently on HuffPost, organizations around the country are now accepting donated wedding dresses to be made into Angel Babies Dresses. These dresses are donated to hospitals and families who have lost babies prematurely or at birth, as beautiful burial gowns. We haven’t heard of any organizations in the Baltimore area yet, but if you know a seamstress willing to make an angel gown from your dress, please consider doing so and donating it to a local hospital.
  • Donate Your Hair
    We know that many brides grow their hair out for months and months before their wedding and count the days until they can chop it off again afterwards! Why not donate that hair? Two companies that we know of are: Pantene Beautiful Lengths (requires 8+ inches) and Locks of Love (requires 10+ inches).

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Photo: Sean Scheidt – Model: Andrea Lauzon (Editor Rochelle’s sister!)

  • Anonymously give to another couple’s Honeymoon Fund
    Why not surprise and bless another couple in the coolest way possible? Online honeymoon funds have been gaining more and more popularity over the past few years, and if you’ve got some cash to burn from your wedding cards, why not throw a bit of it back to another couple? A few online Honeymoon Fund options: Honeyfund, Go Fund Me, & Travelers Joy.
  • Sell/donate table settings and other details
    The little details can add up to a big pricetag for couples, so if you’ve got 100 mason jars or 60 candles lying around collecting dust, passing them onto someone who can use them is a big help! Considering listing them for sale or for free on Craigslist, on Capitol Romance’s Wedding Classifieds, or even calling local nursing homes and seeing if they could use new table decorations / centerpieces!

Carroll County Farm Museum Wedding by Beth T. Photography

Photo: Beth T. PhotographyCarroll County Farm Museum Wedding feature

We know this is just a start of all the ways you can pay it forward after your wedding. Do you have anymore great ideas that you’ve heard of or done after your wedding to pay it forward? We want to hear about it! Let us know in the comments below!

Hyatt Regency Wedding by Mary Brunst Photography
Admiral Fell Inn Wedding by Kirsten Smith Photography
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